When people say their loins burned, I had always thought it was metaphorical, but my loins had actually burned when he'd said that. My mouth became dry, and I made an excuse to get back to my desk.
"A photographer is coming tomorrow to take your photo. He's going to be taking photos for the investor website, too."
"What should I wear?" I asked him.
"You'll be wearing a Henley Inc T-shirt, but wear a skirt too," he explained, looking back at his monitor. I thought it sounded stupid to wear a T-shirt with a skirt.
"Is it a full-length shot?" The girl on the site was only visible from her waist up.
"No," he said with finality, and I felt my heartbeat quicken and my body temperature rise. Either I was having a heart attack or Rick was flirting again. Hell yeah-I was a happy girl.
* * * *
I debated my wardrobe choice a great deal. I wanted Rick to admire my legs, but at the same time I didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he could dictate what I would wear. I didn't want him to know just how much I wanted him. In the end, I chose khaki's and combat boots. Stevie stuck her tongue out at me, but I ignored her. I liked wearing skirts and not just because Rick enjoyed them. Today though, I didn't feel like a skirt.
Rick didn't comment on my wardrobe. I was ushered into the conference room right away where a makeup artist worked on my face. Rick came in and shook his head in dismay. "She doesn't need that much makeup. She's naturally beautiful." I was glad the makeup woman was hovering over me, so he couldn't see my face. At this point, I would definitely not need any blush.
I sat in the studio in front of a green screen while the photographer adjusted me. He was a young guy with a tribal neck tattoo, shoulder length blond hair and watery blue eyes. "Don't be nervous, sugar. My name is Alex, and I lucked out today. You're going to make my job very easy."
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Because I'm going to enjoy taking your picture."
I grinned stupidly as he adjusted a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"I'm not paying you to manhandle our employees," Rick growled behind Alex.
"Relax man, I'm just tweaking her for the best shot," Alex replied, not moving away from me.
"You've tweaked her enough. Take the damn picture." Rick's voice was commanding, and I could see the alpha male interaction between the two men. The hostility was palpable.
Alex took my photos, and Rick watched him like a hawk. He rolled his eyes every time Alex spoke a direction to me. "You sure are photogenic, sugar."
"Yes, we all know she is. That's why I picked her," Rick replied through gritted teeth. It was almost comical to see the two men side by side, both staring at me. I had to admit, they were both extremely hot, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't turned on. Rick would have won any contest easily, but it was surreal to have them both look at me at the same time. Alex stood behind a camera, capturing me at every angle, mouthing words of praise every time I moved into a pose. Rick's eyes darted between Alex and me, as if he couldn't decide whether he'd rather scowl at Alex or stare intently at me.
When it was over and I was getting ready to leave, Alex approached me while Rick was studying the film. "I really dig those combat boots. It takes a special girl to pull that off."
"Thanks," I said looking down. He was wearing boots too.
"This is my card. I take adult photographs. I have a studio downtown. It's all very artistic, and I'd love if you'd consider posing for me. It pays well."
"What do you mean by adult photographs?"
Alex smiled sheepishly. "Nudes."
"Oh, I don't know about that," I replied, staring at the card he shoved in my hand.
"Just think about it, okay? I'll show you my work. It's well received. I promise it's not tawdry, and you would have complete control in how much you wanted to show." He clasped my hand in both of his, crushing his card.
"Are you trying to poach my employee?" Rick snapped, appearing from nowhere. He moved into the small space between Alex and me.
"Relax man, it's just an after-work gig," Alex explained, which seemed to have the opposite effect of relaxing Rick.
"Moonlighting is not allowed by this company."
I walked away back to my desk, letting them finish their pissing contest without me. Was Rick jealous? It was confusing because I thought when he'd played American Woman it had been a signal. He was the one who'd asked me to forget about everything, after all. He had complimented me the other day, but only because I'd shamefully coaxed it out of him.
I walked into Rick's office to drop off the invoices for Alex's studio on his desk. Rick stormed in a few minutes later.
"Give me that card, Marley," he demanded.
"What?"
"Give me the fucking card that guy gave you."
I was behind his desk, and I stepped farther away from him. He moved closer to me.
"Why? I think you're wrong. It's not against any rules to moonlight."
"I don't care what you think. I want that card. He was flirting with you."
I moved around his desk, and Rick followed me, closing the gap between us.
"Yeah, just imagine if I'd worn a skirt." This time I moved, and he jolted for me making me scramble to the other side. I couldn't help but laugh at Rick's childish behaviour, but the intense look on his face slid the smile right off mine.
"This isn't funny. Give me the card right now."
"Why should I?"
"You are not going to pose for that sleaze ball."
I giggled because it sounded so absurd. Rick's irate expression did not yield. "He seems like a nice enough guy." I knew I was just adding fuel to the fire, but I wanted to see how high the flames would get before someone got burnt.
Rick's expression softened, as did his voice. "What he did to you … that was harassment, Marley."
I laughed harder. "Oh, this coming from my boss, who's literally chasing me around his desk right now?" I ran all the way around once more. Rick followed me. He could have caught me easily, but he held back, probably hoping I'd hand over the card on my own.
I ran over to the far wall and leaned against it. I wanted him to catch me, so I trapped myself, beckoning him. He advanced towards me in long strides, closing in on the space between us. He stopped a few feet away and swallowed, switching his expression from aggravated to imploring. "Do you really want to go to his house and take off all your clothes for a few photos?"
I placed my hands on my hips, not hiding my indignation. "For your information, it's at a studio and he said it was all very artistic. It could be an enlightening experience."
Rick drew in a sharp breath as if he were trying to calm himself, but the vein on his neck continued to throb and his hands twitched subtly. "I'm sure that's what porno directors say too. Now are you going to give me that card or not?"
"You're not the boss of me!" As soon as I'd said it, I realised how dumb it was, since he technically was the boss of me. He smiled coyly too, but his eyes were blazing and the twitch in his hands only became stronger.
His look was too intense for this to just be petty jealousy. It looked like raw lust and something else … control maybe? They weren't traits I found endearing, but in this moment, they completely consumed me with desire. It was complicated. Oh my God, all three words Rick used when he described what our relationship would be like.
"Marley, please don't make this anymore difficult for me. Give me the card."
"You said you don't care what I do outside this office, remember?"
He laughed cynically. "Isn't it obvious that's not true? I wish I didn't care. I don't want to care, but I do. Right now, I'm struggling between wanting to kiss you and kicking that asshole in the head. I promise though, if you give me the card, I'll walk away from you like I always do. Like you want me to."
His admission made my knees go weak. The thing was, I didn't want him to walk away. Not again … not this time. I took the card out of my pocket and held it up to him. Just as he drew closer, I put it inside my bra. He stopped in his tracks, staring at my breasts with hooded eyes. "Is that an invitation?"
"Maybe."
"I'll ask you once more. Give. Me. That. Card."
"If you want it … come and get it."
He walked with urgency, not stopping this time. His crushed his lips onto mine with furious passion. I felt a flood of sudden heat in my whole body. His lips were softer than I'd imagined, despite the fact that he was pressing them forcefully against mine. He kept them there, not moving as if the moment might disappear if he shifted. I didn't move either because I was afraid of the same thing. He put a hand on each side of my face, rubbing his thumb gently across each of my cheeks.
He finally began moving his lips in slow, pressing, circles. He outlined my lips until I parted them then pushed his tongue into my mouth. He tangled his fingers in my hair before gliding his hands slowly down my body. I felt a shiver as they went over my breasts. He moved them down to my stomach then under my T-shirt. His hands were large and powerful, but soft and coaxing too, gently massaging as they explored my body. I moaned into his mouth, pulling his head closer to mine. Everything was a hundred times better than in my fantasies. His hair was softer, his mouth was more delicious, his arms stronger, his body more muscular.